


I know that you wont forget me, even when you leave

by annetheseamaiden



Category: The Sunne in Splendour - Sharon Kay Penman, The White Queen (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-17
Updated: 2015-08-17
Packaged: 2018-04-15 04:11:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4592445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annetheseamaiden/pseuds/annetheseamaiden
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lady Anne Neville must choose between marrying for love, or for gold.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I know that you wont forget me, even when you leave

**Author's Note:**

  * For [madeleine92posts](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=madeleine92posts), [madeleine92posts.tumblr.com](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=madeleine92posts.tumblr.com).



It was a very normal day in the York household. The duchess had her ladies lined up like ducks already making shirts for the orphans. The Duchess looked at her young, pretty looking ducklings. They all were concentrated in the shirts that they had in their hands.

“I am almost done.” said the Lady Anne Neville to the duchess. “Is my work of your liking?”

The duchess looked at her while she showed the embroidery of the shirt.

“Decent work, Lady Anne.” The Duchess said.

“Decent?” Lady Anne gasped with a lot of honesty. She had put a lot of work on it. She had been working on that particular shirt for two days. The duchess was a perfectionist, and Lady Anne’s shirt was not entirely perfect. It was uneven on the sleeves, when the duchess knew that she could do better shirts, “But I have worked so hard on it!”

“Lady Anne!” The Duchess raised her voice.

“I am sorry Your Grace. I just— my hands are numb. My eyesight is also numb. I wished that instead of making shirts we could stroll around the garden. Play chase with the boys for at least some hours.”

“Richard might like that.” The Duchess said creating a wave of laughterand some fake among her other ladies. 

“He certainly loves running behind your silk skirt.” One of the other ladies whispered.

“Oh hush it Jane!”

“Lady Jane here speaks the truth.” The Duchess said, “Now girls,” The duchess said changing the subject, “Lady Anne is right. Go and walk around the gardens. Stretch your legs. Take some sun, and breath fresh air. I’ll want you all back before supper. We are going to court in a weeks for the winter festivities. I want to see you all fitted in your gowns presentable to see your families and the queen.”

***

It was a little cold when she went outside. Lady Lucia and Lady Charlotte had taken the warmest blankets to wrap around their arms and chests. She tried to catch up with Lady Jane and Lady Opal, but both girls seemed to have such a quick pace that made it almost impossible for her to catch up with them. In the end, Anne gave up and walked around the fountains which only made her get colder.

But suddenly she felt a little bit warm. Someone had slipped a heavier blanket on her shoulders and stolen a kiss from her cheek.

“My Father spoke with your father.”

“Why aren’t you Lady Seraphina!” Anne rolled her eyes. “You were talking with her a few days ago, whispering in her ears. Why don’t you go with her now? She has kept you entertained.”

“I had been watching you from my room. Lulu and Lotte took the good blankets and Jane and Opal left you behind. Lulu and Lotte think that they are rather jealous of you.”

“Why?”

“Because you are beautiful, and you are smarter, and you are clearly my mother’s favorite lady.”

“Am I still your favourite lady too?” Anne asked. “Because I did saw you flirting with that Lady Seraphina. Is it true, because if it is, I have many suitors. I come from an important family, just as important as yours even more influential. If you keep flirting with her or Lady Charlotte or Lucia, I might even start corresponding the Prince again. Do you remember? When he wore my favours in the fencing competition? We’re going to court in a few weeks. Maybe you might learn how it feels when I see you flirt with that wench.”

Richard truly enjoyed it. To see her get jealous by his silly flirtatious conversations he engaged with his mother’s ladies. “Go on, I like it when you get jealous.” He said, “Spit more venom from your velvety lips.”

“Perhaps I should flirt with him. I would have better jewels and I could be queen instead of Lady Anne Neville, wife of Sir Richard Plantagenet. Imagine it, Queen Anne of England. It has a better ring to it than simple Lady Anne, doesn’t it?”

He looked at her straight, “How dare you?” He asked her.

“If I see you talking again with her, I will say no when my father asks me to marry you and he will look for a better match for me. Now if you excuse me, I have to serve your dear Mama.”

Angrily, he went to talk to his mother.

“Where is my Mother?” He asked one of her ladies. 

“She’s—”

The Lady was interrupted by his Mother who came towards him asking what was happenign.

“Why does your face looks as if you sucked on a lemon?” The Duchess asked.

“Leave us!” Richard yelled to the lady that was pouring a cup of tea to his Mother, “GO!”

“Richard!” His Mother gasped.

“Mother don’t! Leave Seraphina.” He said looking at the young girl, “Mother I need to speak with you.”

“Leave us, Seraphina, go to your father. He wants to see you.”

Lady Seraphina curtsied to the duchess and smiled at Richard while she remembered the talk they had the past days. Just when she left the room, he took a deep breath and spoke, “I don’t want Anne to attend the festivities.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t want her at court until we are married.” He said.

“You two are not engaged yet, Richard.” His mother reminded him. “

“Mother please, it is clear we are to marry. Isabel married George. We are family, and— I don’t want her there. I don’t trust the men at Court and I don’t want—”

The duchess laughed. She placed her hand in her mouth in order to cover her smile.

“Mother this is not funny!” Richard cried out loud, “This is not funny. Do you think it funny?”

“Because it is!” The duchess said, “Oh my boy, you are smitten by her. Come here, sit on the floor and rest your head in my lap my son.”

Richard looked at the floor and like a little boy, or a pet, he sat in the floor with his legs crossed and rested his head on her lap.

“I love her Mother. I see how men look at her, and she enjoys flirting. Today she said that if I flirted with your other ladies she will begin corresponding with Prince Edward. I don’t want her there. He wore her favor in the fencing competition. If she says no to me, she will tell Cousin Richard to look for a better match for her.”

“She told you that?” The duchess asked.

“Yes, mother. Once she is my wife—”

“Richard, let me give you an advice. When a woman like Anne, who is a girl who is a free spirit.When you try to cage her, you are only giving her an excuse for her to fly away.”

“I am not trying to cage her.” He said.

“And if you want her to be your wife, stop flirting with anything that wears a skirt and moves. You remind me of your brother Edward at times!”

“Oh mother please, I was only talking a few days with Lady Seraphina. A few laughs, dances—”

“If your plan is to court Anne, then reserve those dances, laughs and conversations only to her.”

“Mother, you are supposed to be on my side. You are supposed to flatter me in her presence. Isn’t that the very reason why she is in your service, so we could get to know each other?”

“Oh shut up Richard, you are giving me a headache. And I will not be leaving behind my favourite lady. She amuses me with her spontaneous thoughts and humor. Hear me son, if you want to marry her, it might help if you spoke with Cousin Richard. Remember that he married Isabel to my dear George not only because we are from a respectable and wealthy family, but George knew how to sweet talk him. Flatter him, work with him. Instead of spending your days in your rooms, do something of your own. You will inherit some lands and titles, but try earning one of your own. That is the kind of thing that will amaze our cousin of Warwick.”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> let me know what you think!


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